Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Timber

Lord Randall of Uxbridge: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce the Committee on Climate Change's hierarchy of uses for timber favouringnon-burning applications; and whether subsidies will reflect this hierarchy.

Lord Callanan: In line with the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations, the Government is developing an evidence-based priority use framework for biomass across the economy. This framework will consider the decarbonisation potential of different end uses alongside wider environmental and economic impacts, to inform how biomass can best contribute towards net zero. The Government's forthcoming biomass strategy will support decisions around future Government support for biomass.

Biofuels

Lord Randall of Uxbridge: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reassess biomass electricity's classification as both a renewable and carbon neutral energy source.

Lord Callanan: The Government considers sustainable biomass a renewable, low carbon energy source.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Northern Ireland Protocol

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government what updates they can provide to the political parties in Northern Ireland regarding the ongoing negotiations with the EU on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary and Vice President Maroš Šefčovič are in regular contact and officials on both sides continue to meet to discuss solutions on this issue. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is also in regular contact with political parties in Northern Ireland. Our preference is for a negotiated solution but should one not be reached we will press ahead with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill in the interests of Northern Ireland. The Bill allows for a negotiated solution to be incorporated directly.

Developing Countries: Females

Baroness Northover: To ask His Majesty's Government what fiscal steps they are taking to support women and girls' (1) sexual, and (2) reproductive, (a) health, and (b) rights, in countries on which their funding is targeted.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is committed to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). This is demonstrated by our success in securing a landmark statement at the UN General Assembly third committee and the publication of the UK approach to Ending the Preventable Deaths of mothers, babies and children. We also provide funding to key organisations working on SRHR such as the Reproductive Health Supplies partnership.Aid prioritisation decisions will be guided by the UK International Development Strategy that includes support to women and girls and global health. The UK also supports countries to mobilise their own resources through policy input and support to programmes such as the Global Financing Facility.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Carbon Emissions

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made incurbing agricultural carbon emissions in order to meet their 2050 net zero target.

Lord Benyon: Agricultural greenhouse gas emissions have reduced by 16% since 1990 (as of 2020), with many farms using more efficient agricultural practices. HM Government will support farmers to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions further. The Net Zero Strategy outlines an ambition for 75% of farmers in England to be engaged in low carbon practices by 2030, rising to 85% by 2035.As published in January 2022 HM Government anticipates the collective actions of our farmers through our environmental land management schemes, the Farming Innovation Fund and other farming offers will reduce agricultural emissions by up to 6 MtCO2e per annum in Carbon Budget 6 in England. HM Government will also pursue opportunities through tree planting and peat restoration.

Supermarkets: Food

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask His Majesty's Government how they are working with supermarkets to ensure that affordable staple foods are available on the shelves this winter given the increasing food cost for (1) consumers, and (2) retailers.

Lord Benyon: Defra has well established ways of working with industry. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement with supermarkets and producers in order to tackle the cost-of-living challenge. Through this engagement, Defra will continue to explore the range of measures food retailers can take to ensure the availability of affordable food. For example, by maintaining value ranges, price matching and price freezing measures. On 14 June, David Buttress was appointed by HM Government as the new Cost of Living Business Tsar. Since his appointment, Mr Buttress has been working in partnership with some of the United Kingdom’s largest supermarkets, including Asda, Morrisons and Sainsburys, to reduce costs at the checkout and ensure the access of essential products and services for families across the country. However, it is not for His Majesty’s Government to set retail food prices nor to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions by companies. Rising food prices are dependent on a combination of factors including agri-food import prices, domestic agricultural prices, domestic labour and manufacturing costs. In addition to the energy support package announced by Government in September, we have committed £37 billion to tackle the increased cost of living this year. This includes an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials, including food, bringing total funding for this support to £1.5 billion.

Rainforests: Environment Protection

Lord Randall of Uxbridge: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to protect and expand temperate rainforests in England.

Lord Benyon: In 2021, HM Government published the England Trees Action Plan, which sets out our long-term vision for supporting and protecting trees and woodlands of all kinds.Through the £750 million Nature for Climate Fund, we are supporting the expansion and restoration of woodlands through the England Woodland Creation Offer and the Regional Woodland Restoration Funds. The Regional Woodland Restoration Funds support proposals that will restore woodland ecological condition and bring woodlands into management. Under the South West and North West and West Midlands Innovation Funds, we encourage applications that result in the restoration of temperate rainforests along England's Atlantic fringe.I recently met with the Lost Rainforests of Britain Campaign to understand what more we can do to increase protections for our temperate rainforests, We are looking at what further action HM Government can take.

Home Office

Alcoholic Drinks: Sales

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government when their report on the Age Verification Sandbox was completed; and when it will be published.

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government whether, and if so when, they will introduce digital age verification for alcohol.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Age Verification Sandbox trials have now concluded. Evaluation of these trials is currently taking place and we aim to publish a report as soon as possible.There are currently no plans to introduce digital age verification for alcohol sales. We are, however, exploring what is permissible within the Licensing Act 2003 and whether the legislation should be amended. Any change would reflect a wider cross-government position on the use of digital ID for the sale of age-restricted products, including as set out in the Digital Trust Framework which the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport is developing.

Food Supply: Migrant Workers

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to grant more overseas workers permits for work in food production in the Lee Valley.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: Our skills-based immigration system enables us to treat people from every part of the world equally. We have broadened the eligibility of Skilled Worker visas from graduate jobs only to include jobs skilled to RQF level 3 and lowered the salary threshold to £25,600, making more overseas worker eligible to enter the UK. There are already a range of occupations in the agri-food sector which are eligible under our immigration system, if English language and salary requirements are met. Our immigration system is not regional and therefore available to all employers (including those in the Lee Valley area). The Seasonal Worker visa allows workers to come to the UK for up to six months to work in agriculture, enabling up to 38,000 people to enter the UK this year to work in horticulture. Additionally, on 18 October the route was expanded to enable 2,000 poultry workers to come to the UK to support that sector in the run up to Christmas.Beyond the UK immigration system is the resident labour market, which includes UK workers and migrants with general work rights, who can all work without meeting Home Office requirements.

Treasury

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Lord Balfe: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to maintain their decision to increase alcohol duty this year, and (2) to devise a strategy to bring the tax back in line to the level it was in 2010.

Baroness Penn: The Government keeps the duty rates under review during its yearly budget process and aims to balance the impact on businesses with its public health objectives. On 17 October, the Chancellor announced a reversal of almost all of the tax measures set out in the Growth Plan that have not been legislated for in Parliament. This included the freeze of alcohol duty rates from 1 February 2023. The alcohol duty uprating decision and interactions with the wider reforms to alcohol duties under the Alcohol Duty Review will be considered in due course.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Internet: Safety

Baroness Benjamin: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether Ofcom's roadmap to regulation for the Online Safety Bill ensures that the implementation period for Part 5 of that bill following passage of the legislation will be as short as possible, as per their policy and the remarks made byLord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 17 March 2021 (HL Deb cols 343–7).

Baroness Benjamin: To ask His Majesty's Government how long after completion of the passage of the Online Safety Bill they would expect Ofcom to have the power to issue the first provisional notice of contravention under Part 5 of that Bill.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: His Majesty’s Government is committed to implementing protections for children from online pornography, including the provisions in Part 5 of the Online Safety Bill, as quickly as possible. The Government’s intention is to have the online safety regime operational as soon as possible after Royal Assent, while ensuring the necessary preparations are completed effectively and service providers understand what is expected. We are working closely with Ofcom to ensure this.As set out in Ofcom’s Roadmap to Regulation, an important consideration for the implementation of Part 5 will be the need to ensure a consistency in approach across all providers of online pornography, including those hosting user-generated content subject to the duties of Part 3. This is to ensure the legislation effectively protects children from pornography, wherever it appears online. Ofcom also needs appropriate time and flexibility properly to produce and then consult relevant statutory consultees on the relevant guidance, including those who represent the interests of children.Ofcom will be able to use its enforcement powers, including the power to issue a provisional notice of contravention relating to Part 5, once clause 68, which sets out the duties for regulated provider pornographic content, is commenced. We do not, however, expect to see sanctions applied, except in the most egregious cases, until Ofcom has worked with regulated entities to ensure they have sufficient knowledge and notice of the new regulatory framework. Before issuing any sanctions Ofcom will undertake a full and fair investigation of any suspected non-compliance.The introduction of the Bill should be taken as a clear message to companies that they need to begin preparing for regulation now.